Kucinich: No Expansion of "PATRIOT" Act

[redqueen]

Kucinich will introduce legislation to repeal a section of the FY '04 Intelligence Authorization Act that expands powers granted to the federal government in the USA PATRIOT Act, allowing the government greater power to acquire financial records without judicial oversight from car dealers, pawnbrokers, travel agencies, and many other businesses. Traditional financial institutions like banks and credit unions are already subject to such demands, but this dramatic expansion of government authority will mean that records created by average citizens who purchase cars, plan vacations, or buy gifts will be subject to government seizure and analysis without the important requirements of probable cause or judicial review. This provision initially appeared in a leaked draft of the so-called "PATRIOT II", a proposal the American public and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate rejected.

"If we allow this Administration to continue this trend of expanding governmental powers at the expense of our civil rights our very democracy is at stake. Today, I join with over 229 communities in 35 states that represent over 29 million citizens, that have passed resolutions opposed to the law, in standing up to this abuse of power. It is now clear the administration's strategy is to pass PATRIOT II in separate pieces with little public debate, in secret, and surreptitiously attached to other legislation. This is far from an appropriate or democratic way to handle issues that affect the fundamental liberties and freedoms of Americans."
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He is so good, and would win in a landslide. :D

[kixot]

1. landslide?

Unfortunately I disagree. Although nothing would please me more than having DK in office to right the last 3 years' wrongs it's still a long shot at best. There are enough goose-stepping freepers out there married to the republican party, come hell or highwater, that *'s guaranteed a good portion of the population. Think of how many people are republican, don't follow politics or policy, and are told who to vote for by their preacher, pastor, or decon.

[redqueen]

2. Shoot, I know about them

The people I expect to make a difference aren't the ones already locked in to the GOP though.

The people that will make a difference are all the disenfranchised voters Granny D encountered on her walk across America to raise awareness of Campaign Finance Reform as an issue.

"I am proud to endorse Dennis Kucinich for President.

When I walked 3,200 miles across the United States for campaign reform and inquired of people why they were not voting, they said: 'Find us someone who understands us, who cares about us.' I'm talking about people living in trailers, people living in small towns with boarded-up windows on Main Street, with drugstores, grocery stores, hardware stores all eaten up by Wal-Mart, Costco, CVS Drugs, Home Depot, and other monsters several miles beyond the town. People coming out of farmhouses in Iowa, squeezed out of their livelihood by stinking agri-hog farms, people coming out of tobacco fields, cotton fields, wheat fields, people living in cities who have been out of work for over a year, people whose well-paid jobs have been shipped overseas, people desperate for relief from the oppressions of our corporatized and disempowered lives.

I promised to look for someone who would understand them, that had a vision of the future for them, that believed in Peace, Love, Justice. Well, here he is: Dennis Kucinich.

I believe he is the candidate who can bring new voters and disgruntled voters into the political process.

To those people I met on my walk across America: 'Now keep your promise to me and come out and vote for him! Hugs.'"


Democrats keep ignoring these people, and look where it's got us. We're in the minority everywhere.

Sorry, but caving to centrists' fearmongering tactics is not going to help now. It hasn't for the last 30 years, and I don't expect that suddenly we'll get a different result by doing the same thing again.

[no name no slogan]

3. Others talk, but Kucinich TAKES ACTION

This is what makes him different from the others.

After the blackouts last summer, the other candidates hemmed and hawed about how we need to "fix" power companies. Kucinich filed a lawsuit against the company that caused the outage, to have that company's operating license revoked.

Other candidates railed against black box voting and the lack of accountability by Diebold and others, but Kucinich put the details of Diebold's dirty dealings on the web for everyone to see.

The other candidates spoke out against the war in Iraq and about how it was a bad idea. Kucinich organized the opposition in the House.

Now that we're in Iraq, most of the candidates say that we can't leave and "save face". Kucinich has a plan to get us out of Iraq and replace our forces with a true, multilateral force that won't be beholden to Halliburton and BushCo.

The other candidates talk, but Kucinich does.

[LWolf]

8. That is a powerful difference.

Elect someone who can talk a good game, or elect someone who will take action to address an issue and solve a problem.

No one matches Dennis Kucinich on the issues; no one comes close when it comes to action.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

12. "No one matches Dennis Kucinich on the issues"

The plain TRUTH! And as you said, he takes action!

another kick for DK!

TWL

[Myra]

4. Regardless of whether or not people think he could win, please donate.

To Kucinich so, at the very least, he can have as much time
as possible to speak out on huge issues like this.

'Cause he is the only one who speaks out consistently
and loudly and strongly against such evils as E-voting fraud
the various disgraceful "Patriot Acts."

Occasionally another candidate will follow his lead
and mention one of the issues, but not often enough.

Donations now will be matched by the FEC, so there's
double reason to donate now: to double your donation.

[curse10]

5. Another point for DK!

:-)

He's such a great candidate. I really like him.

[Zomby Woof]

6. one of the main reasons I support him

I am a hardcore ACLUer. He takes a stand for civil liberties with SPECIFIC policy goals, and not just empty rhetoric or whichever way the wind is blowing today.

[corporatewhore]

7. civil liberties kick!!

[shance]

9. This is leadership.

Hope its contagious***

:)

[diamondsoul]

10. HAH! And here he comes again-

the little Elfin guy they just can't get rid of, eh?!

Unbelievable the naysayers STILL can't find the same guts HE has. Gimme a break, people this is freaking AMERICA! This is where "longshots" like this are SUPPOSED TO WIN! Get off your scared rear ends and make it happen already- the man can't do it alone, and he surely can't do it when everyone keeps tossing their time and money at second-best candidates.

(Sorry, folks, any other year I'd be thrilled with the rest of the 9 and never say that, but now that I've listened to this "dreamer" of mine- well nothing else quite cuts it.)

[redqueen]

11. "Nothing else quite cuts it"

I know just what you mean.

Kucinich ruins the curve. :D

Measured against his record, it really is very hard for any other candidate to cut the muster. :)